Hi everyone,

I was diagnosed at age 14 with a very rare genetic disorder called MEN 1 (multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1). This disease causes tumors and cancers that develop throughout the body, which has caused me to have multiple surgeries I had a Whipple operation that involved removing half of my pancreas, gallbladder, and portion of my stomach and some of my small intestine (duodenum). I had 3 separate surgeries to remove half of my thyroid and parathyroids due to tumors. I was also diagnosed with Hurthle cell thyroid cancer (a rare aggressive thyroid cancer). I needed my thyroid removed and early in 2022, I was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer), which required a kidney ablation to remove the tumor. In April of that same year I had the rest of my pancreas removed and spleen due to chronic pancreatitis and multiple tumors that developed. Recovery hasn't been easy, especially adapting to now being a type 1 diabetic and having to take pancreatic enzymes (Creon) before eating anything just to be able to digest my food. I am coming up on 3 years post op and I am still struggling! I suffer from severe fatigue, nausea poor appetite due to being malnourished (causing me to lose a lot of weight) stomach pain, and uncontrollable blood sugars. I am insulin dependent and on an insulin pump for the rest of my life this has been an enormous life change for me and my family. There is a life-threatening component to type 1 diabetes if not managed correctly many things can affect blood sugar, such as level of exercise, illness diet changes, hormone changes, and age. I must monitor my blood sugar levels 24/7 including throughout the night, as I experience fluctuations in blood sugar levels for many reasons that are out often outside my control. Low and high sugar comes with short- and long-term effects. Having high blood sugar for extended periods can lead to severe complications such as organ failure, loss of vision, and many other detrimental issues. In terms of how it feels, it's the equivalent of being (sick) or feeling drunk and leaves me feeling awful, and unable to participate in activities that I love. It also prevents me from enjoying life with my 7-year-old son and leaves me at risk of future complications. Conversely, low blood sugar is more immediately life-threatening and left untreated, it can lead to seizures, unconsciousness, and even death in extreme cases. I am wearing the latest constant glucose monitoring system, as one of the essential tools to manage my diabetes. The CGM reduces finger pricks and alerts to lows and highs, however, technology is NOT always reliable nor am I always to feel and respond to blood sugar changes. I often experience hypo unawareness, meaning I don't always feel my lows (especially at night) This increases my risk of life-threatening consequences. I am going to be completely honest... I am having a hard time accepting my "new life" and accepting my limitations. My son and husband keep me on my feet which helps both mind and body. I would love to be able to go for short walks (we live by a lake) and enjoy some physical activities but unfortunately, every time I've tried, my blood sugar drops very low. I've tried eating slow-burning carbs before the walk but I still get extremely weak and need to sit down and rest.

Recently I have been accepted into a service dog program with Little Angels Service Dogs, and I am over the moon excited! We know that having a diabetic alert dog will benefit my life in so many ways. Beyond being beautiful creatures, they are genuinely life-changing tools and companions. A service dog is protected under the ADA. They are given full public access, including going to school, stores, doctors and even the airport and everything in-between. As the name implies, they are medical alert dogs that alert me when my blood sugars drop too fast and alert to them, hopefully protecting me from falling too low and getting to those dangerous and scary positions. A diabetic alert dog is most needed at night when I'm sleeping. The CGM and insulin pump try to alert me with an alarm, but I sleep through it most of the time because it is not loud enough to wake me up. A Diabetic Alert Dog can notice when I'm low or high and physically wake me up by pawing at me or jumping on my chest, waking me up and giving me ample time to correct my sugars as my CGM has a 20-minute delay in glucose readings and most importantly go for help if I become unconscious. Should I become impaired, the dog will notice and get help. Dexcom cannot. A service dog will increase my safety and lift some of the burden and worry that me and my family all experience. The support of the dog will increase my confidence and allow me to venture out mor independently. I will feel safer at night with "back up" support of my dog. Having diabetes can feel lonely, isolating, and some days it's too much to deal with. In addition to helping keep me safe, we know a service dog will provide me with a feeling of security and emotional support.

For these reasons, and so many more, we are asking you to consider a donation to this amazing organization for the work they do and the lives they impact so powerfully. Every dog Little Angels provides is paid for by donations from people like you! Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Little Angels Service Dogs and sharing my fundraising page with family and friends.

Thank you from the very bottom of our hearts for being a part of a mission aimed to enhance the lives of individuals like myself.

It is important to please always remember to use this solicitation code AD-NE-MI when donating outside of this site with a check, etc. because Little Angels tracks all incoming donations.

To send a check directly to the organization, be sure to write my code '' AD-NE-MI" in the memo section and make checks payable to

Little Angels Service Dogs

PO Box 550 Lakeside, CA 92040

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Little Angels Service Dogs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with an Assistance Dogs International (ADI) accreditation. We provide highly trained assistance dogs to help children and adults living with disabilities to live more independent lives. Our mission is to maximize the innate ability of dogs to give the gift of independence to individuals regardless of disability or age.

Our primary purpose is to change the lives of people living with disabilities by helping them live a more independent life. Approximately 13% of Americans are living with disabilities, and less than 1% of that community use service dogs due to a mix of availability, costs, and barriers for service animals that still exist today. Our goal is to overcome those barriers for people living with disabilities to appropriately match service dogs with their recipients.

We train our service dogs to perform specific tasks and behaviors that mitigate the effects of a person's disability, enabling them to lead more autonomous and fulfilling lives. Results of various studies on the impact service dogs have on their owners living with disabilities have indicated that service dog ownership may include benefits like greater social and emotional health, independence, and overall quality of life.

Our service dogs include psychiatric (civilian and military), seizure alert, diabetic alert, hearing assistance, mobility assistance, and autism assistance. We firmly believe that all disabilities should be regarded with equal importance, irrespective of their visibility. Our team acknowledges our responsibility not only to our service dogs but also to the individuals we serve.

Michelle's Fundraiser for a Diabetic Alert Dog

Fundraising for Little Angels Service Dogs by Michelle N.